On January 10, Square Enix introduced a new policy addressing customer harassment, highlighting its strategy to refuse service to abusive individuals. The policy, which emphasizes a firm stance against harassment, even considers taking legal action against those who threaten or harm their employees.
According to the policy, actions deemed unacceptable or harmful towards Square Enix employees or partners could lead to the termination of service. The company states, “We reserve the right to stop offering support and services if someone crosses the line of acceptable behavior or acts with harmful intent.” In severe cases, legal or criminal proceedings might be pursued after consulting with authorities.
The policy identifies two main types of inappropriate behavior: harassment and undue demands. Harassment covers violence, abusive language, intimidation, and discriminatory speech, while undue demands involve unreasonable monetary requests and excessive calls for employee punishment.
Anyone familiar with online gaming dynamics knows this isn’t entirely unexpected. Recently, Naoki Yoshida, producer of Final Fantasy 14, had to ask players to stop directing transphobic comments at English voice actor Sena Bryer, who voices Wuk Lamat in the Dawntrail expansion.
Square Enix’s policy aligns with a growing trend in Japan to combat pervasive customer harassment. As reported by The Japan Times, a report approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare in December 2024 could become law, mandating companies to shield employees from unacceptable customer behavior.
Other Japanese companies such as Sega, Level-5, and Rakuten have adopted similar policies recently. Sega even pursued legal action against an individual for harassing an employee on social media. This case led to the defendant being ordered to pay damages in July 2024. Another notable case in 2023 saw a Washington court awarding Bungie nearly $500,000 in damages from a Destiny 2 player who harassed a community manager. These rulings might set crucial benchmarks for future legal actions.
